SXSW 2014: The best things I saw – Cotton Mather

The Cotton Mather legend goes back to 1997, when its perfect power pop album Kontiki was discovered and promoted by Noel Gallagher of Oasis and the band briefly basked in the spotlight before its return to obscurity and dissolution. In 2012, songwriter Robert Harrison re-formed the band to hype a deluxe re-release of the album. What was supposed to have been a couple of shows turned into a true reunion, with a single that lives up to the band’s legend and a promise of a full album to come. Harrison is brilliant with pop arrangements, and his Lennon-like vocals, layers and layers worth, couldn’t be any more perfect. The band played just one short set at SXSW, but the little Ginger Man club was packed with longtime fans and the new songs he played were well-received.

A video trailer for the Kontiki re-release

Live video of the song My Before and After off of Kontiki. This from the band’s 2012 reunion shows at SXSW